In his essay titled Study Out the Land, philosopher T.K. Whipple wrote, “Our forefathers had civilization inside themselves, the wild outside. We live in the civilization they created, but with us the wilderness still lingers. What they dreamed we live, and what they lived, we dream.”
Creating a legacy that lingers throughout generations is easier said than done and carrying on those traditions has become even more challenging as time goes on. With new technology and developments each and every day, its no wonder that some legacies have slowly faded away. However, despite these challenges, there are still those who are working hard to keep their history alive.
Actor and musician Luke Grimes first came to Montana to star as Kacey Dutton on the Golden Globe Award nominated drama series Yellowstone, and since then, the beauty of the Northern Great Plains has come to hold a special place in his heart. Recently, he has made the decision to partner with Carhartt as part of their campaign entitled “Back to the Land,” its purpose to highlight and pay tribute to those who actively live to carry on the western way of life.
“I started coming up here because of Yellowstone and because of Kasey. I lived in LA for about, I don't know, 12 years, I think, by the time that I got that job. Because of the characters I tried to understand whatever it would be like to grow up in a place like this, and sort of fell more and more in love with it…When I was back here, I liked my days a lot more. And it's as simple as that, really,” explained Grimes.
In Chapter 2 of this campaign titled “History in the Making,” Grimes gives a sneak peak into the life he has built in small town Bitterroot, Montana, where he has resided since 2020. This movement on keeping legacies alive focuses on how he is working with Carhartt to encourage farmers and ranch hands to write their own history. This campaign includes a video that elaborates on the reasons why the partnership is so important to Grimes and why these communities and traditions need to be preserved and carried out.
When asked what message he and the outdoor apparel company wanted to undertake, Grimes said, “We went through some different ideas, and I think the one thing that we realized very quickly was that we didn't want it to be was just sort of a vanity piece about an actor who moved to Montana four years ago. I’m not interested in that. I didn't move here to tell people about it. I moved here because I love it, and I wanted it to be about why I love it.”
Grimes continued to explain, “what it ended up becoming was sort of a way of sort of highlighting what this place is, what it wants to continue to be in the face of all the change in the world… And so this campaign had become something much bigger than just trying to sell clothing, which I thought was really, really cool, and I'm super proud to be part of it.”
The western United States, including Montana, is largely occupied by shares of land that are owned by farmers and ranch hands working to feed not only their families, but their communities. With continuing developments and people moving west, the traditions these landowners have labored to uphold have become endangered.
Thankfully, efforts have been made to conserve the land and the legacies of the agricultural society of Montana as well as other western states. Two different organizations, The Bitter Root Land Trust and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) have become the heart of the “Back to the Land” campaign. The former is a Bitterroot Valley nonprofit community effort to partner with landowners to place conservation easements on their properties to conserve water and wildlife resources. The latter is a global nonprofit organization that, through its grassbanking program, provides ranchers with grasslands to graze their cattle in exchange for land conservation efforts from the landowners. TNC has had a major positive impact on 300,000 acres on the Northern Great Plains of Montana.
“It's less about progress and less about changing it and more about staying what it is,” said Grimes. “I think that's something that is important to me, is the authenticity and being who you are. And I know that's important to the Carhartt brand as well. They are a family -owned brand since the late 1800s. They have never changed their mission statement or who they are or what they're about or who their products are for.”
The efforts that have been made to “protect hardworking people” has not gone unnoticed. Carhartt is contributing $350,000 to TNC in order to support the connection these small town cultivators have with each other and with the land that sustains their livelihood. This contribution will no doubt play a part in the valiant efforts to, as Whipple wrote, continue to "live in the civilization created."
While this push for the preservation of heritage goes on, Grimes has also busy with additional exciting projects. Recently, the actor and musician announced that he is getting ready to go on tour for his new album, Luke Grimes. The tour is scheduled for November 9 through December 14 and will be making stops all across the U.S.
“I can’t wait to get back out there. It’s been a very acting-heavy year so far…We’re excited to get back at it,” said Grimes, who has been playing music since he was 11 years old.
In addition to his tour, the latest installment of Yellowstone is set to be released in a few weeks. “I actually genuinely love the way the last season came together… I wanted to really love the ending, and I really did and I think the audience will too. Yeah, satisfying and not super predictable either. I don’t think many people will see it coming,” Grimes hints.
The fifth season of Yellowstone will premiere on Sunday, Nov. 10 at 8/7 c. To learn more about the “Back to the Land” campaign, watch the short film that gives insight to what the Bitterroot landowners are about, or visit the Carhartt website.
